Ex-mayor Stevco Jakimovski charged with abuse of office

Former mayor of Skopje’s Karpos municipality Stevco Jakimovski was charged Wednesday with abuse of office and authority.

In addition to Jakimovski, charges of abuse of office and complicity were also filed against four members of the Karpos municipality staff, the Financial Police said in a statement. Jakimovski and his associates by misusing their position allowed two companies to acquire wrongful gains estimated at EUR 595,000, thus damaging the budget of Karpos municipality.

The suspects are believed to have misused office in thee public procurement procedures in 2012, 2013 and 2016. Furthermore, a public prosecutor has ordered an investigation into five people. A motion has been also filed to a court to order precautionary measures against the suspects, including an obligation to report to authorities and to hand over their passports. Late on Tuesday, the Financial Police searched several facilities owned by the Jakimovski family in Skopje.

Speaking to the media, Jakimovski called the police operation ‘political revenge.’